The highly anticipated Candidates Chess Tournament of 2024 has seen yet another controversial incident unfold. Alireza Firouzja, the talented young French GM of Iranian descent, finds himself in the middle of it once again. Reports from the venue in Toronto suggest tensions between organizers and Alireza's father rose during the 10th round on Thursday.
Technical Delegate Pavel Tregubov shared that initial concers were raised about non-players having direct viewing access to live games from the balcony. To ensure fairplay, only players were permitted entry for the first seven rounds. Alireza's father was reportedly the sole complainant against this decision.
While rules were relaxed later to allow entourages limited access, another issue emerged in Round 10. It's reported the elder Firouzja aggressively demanded permission to watch games from the balcony at any time. When denied, he allegedly threatened to involve authorities. Understandably, organizers could not accept such terms.
The mid-game altercation clearly distracted Alireza during his loss to Caruana. While he remains in contention, the unwelcome distraction will not help his cause. Tregubov stated flexibility remains for future access, provided decorum is maintained.
Only four rounds remain in the fight to challenge the World Champion. With a prized Candidates spot, unnecessary off-board issues are the last thing any player needs. Both Alireza and his father would do well to let his talent do the talking for the remainder of the event.
